Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma!

Turkey Dinner with Stuffing, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Homemade bread, and Homemade Strawberry Jam

Homemade Cafe Rio Pork Salad with Cilantro Dressing, Homemade Guacamole, and Fresh Garden Tomatoes

Homemade Sugar Cookies, Heavenly Hash Brownies, and Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh cut Strawberries served with Buttermilk Syrup over Homemade Whole Wheat Waffles

Blue Bell Ice Cream Swimming in Hershey's Chocolate Sauce

mmmmmmmm. . . ok on to the post

This here list of food is one of the many reasons I LOVE visiting the Brown's. And unfortunatly one of the reasons I have also recently gained five pounds!

A few months ago my beautiful sister in law Chelice got married and last week in Oklahoma she had her reception, so Jaron and I decided we wanted to be there to celebrate with her!

The week went by way too fast, and I think we are all going through withdrawals of both not having access to such great food, and most importantly such great company.

My favorite part of the whole trip was actually the part where we were all working together to set up Chelice and Evan's reception. Hectic though it may have been, we were all having a good time, and working together towards the same goal. It was so fun. I learned so much about flower arranging, decorating, and cooking from my genius sisters-in-law and mother in-law.
I was amazed at Chelice's ingenuity in regards to the fabulous and beautiful fall reception that she put on (Click on the pictures to see for yourself: beautifully designed pumpkin's, hanging Christmas lights, oodles of pictures on a line, cool center pieces, beautiful flower arrangements-thanks to Pepper, bails of hay decorated with gords, and much much more)

My second favorite part of the trip was watching Liv play with her aunts, uncles, and grandparents. She warmed up to them very quickly, and was ready to wrestle, laugh, read books, and well just play.

SO, THREE REASONS WHY I KNOW OLIVIA IS GOING THROUGH BROWN FAMILY WITHDRAWALS:

NUMBER 1: Yesterday while watching Charletts Web, Olivia looked at me and said "Ahhhh Sheesh"! Translation. . . "I want Chelice".

NUMBER 2: Today, Olivia picked up my phone, placed it in-between her chin and her shoulder and said "Hello? Bryce? Derk? Grama?"

NUMBER 3: This was said getting off of the plane and arriving in Seattle, "Pepper gone?"

You will be missed Brown's!
Thank you for a fabulous trip!
We can't wait to see you again!

p.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN I'll post some Giraff pictures of the grape nut later. We are going to attempt trick or treating tonight!

P.S.S. Is it hard to enjoy the pictures when I do these collages? It's my lazy way of uploading a lot of photos all at once!

Check out our new ride!

Olivia gets her drivers license in only 15.15 years, so we thought we'd go ahead and pick her up a little car, and begin driving lessons. It's a '47 Studebaker.

Fall Fun

Yesterday we had Tomato Campbell's Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh apple cider (real deluxe I know), but I don't think anything could have tasted better!

I love the Fall! I even love the colder weather, because it gives me an excuse to wear cute sweaters and warm knit hats while I walk around and gape at the beautifully colored, falling leaves.

Last weekend to celebrate the fall and hang out with our awesome friends, The Singley's, we went and visited a pumpkin patch out in Snohomish. We had our selves a grand o'l time running around in the corn stalks, even tasting one of them out (see picture of Liv below), riding around in wheel barrels, and enjoying the delicious apple cider. We even picked ourselves out some wee little pumpkins which are now a lovely decoration on our dining room table.

Happy Fall!

Is that thing really inside her?

Today's technology continues to amaze. Here are the earliest images available of what will surely be a very well photographed (and photogenic if he takes after his old man, eh hem) young one in the world. Now the hard part: names!

It's a . . . It's a . . . BOY!!! :)
Pictures to be posted at a later date

An Outing

So I give up. Today for the first time in three days I put a diaper on Liv and we went out. Yes it was the first time in three days that we went out. And boy did it feel good to be doing something besides watching that little naked bum run around my house, anticipating her to do something on her little potty, waiting and waiting, only to turn my back at one second and find that she has peed on the carpet just beside her potty training toilet. Thank you sun for coming out today, I needed it!
P.S. The pictures were taken at a beautiful park called Lake Meridian. Thank you play group girls for giving me an excuse to get out! :)

AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

So for the last month Olivia has been showing signs that she was ready to be potty trained (i.e. hiding behind the couch or other objects to go to the bathroom, saying BUM! as soon as she had gone and running to get a clean diaper). Anyway then I watched this show on potty training your children early, and how its good for them, its good for the parents, and its especially good for the environment. I don't know if its living in Seattle, or just having the desire to be a better person, but I have been trying to be more environmentally conscious lately. Just in little ways, like recycling, and using paper bags at the grocery store instead of plastic, and attempting to potty train my baby a little earlier. Dun dun dun. . .

Two things, she's not ready, and even if she was I QUIT!

Do you have any advice for me, you mothers of successfully potty trained children? Was I just jumping the gun??